6 NEWS
By DONALD TURVILL
Local Democracy ReporterThe City of Edinburgh council has agreed
that schools will close on a holiday for
King Charles’ coronation.
Councillors approved the extra public
holiday on Monday 8 May – at a cost of
£250,000 - when schools will be closed and
services reduced.
It will be the final day of a three-day
“Coronation Weekend” beginning with the
Coronation on 6 May.
In a letter to the council, The Scottish
Government said it was “important that
families in Scotland are also able to
participate in the Coronation celebrations
and is supportive of these days being
taken as school holidays”. SQA exams due
to take place on 8 May will be rescheduled.
A council report said the bank holiday
would “mean a further reduction in
teaching days” and that the school year has
“already seen a reduction this year” due to
the Queen’s Funeral last September and
teacher strikes over the last three months.ADDITIONAL COSTS
“There would be a notional cost of around
£250,000 for the additional fixed public
holiday. This cost has been assessed based
upon the opportunity cost of lost working
time due to the additional annual leave
and the resulting enhanced payments and
other costs for those employees/services
required to still operate during the period
concerned.”
At the meeting the Green group tabled
an addendum requesting an in-depth
equality impact assessment looking at
how service changes and unexpected
closures affect women and other groups.
Alys Mumford, co-convener of the
Edinburgh Greens, said additional public
holidays can leave parents scrambling to
find childcare and workers impacted by
changes to public transport.
She said: “Of course we’re supportive of
giving workers more time off, particularly
as it means we’re well on the way to May
being a month of four day weeks almost,
something we should all aspire to.”
She said residents could use the time off
to think about one of the many other
things commemorated on 8 May, such as
the international day for Red Cross,
nurses appreciation week or Enrique
Iglesias birthday”.Coronation
holiday coming
up this May
Sixth birthday for Baby Boxes
By STAFF REPORTER
THE REAL MARY King’s Close is celebrating
Women’s History Month with specially curated
Herstory Tours. The underground experience
invites you to journey underneath The Royal
Mile, while learning about the lives of the
women who once lived, worked and died on
the now hidden streets of Edinburgh.
The one-hour tour includes fascinating
revelations about some of the most famous
women in Scottish history.
The tour is guided by residents of The
Close, including Jonet Nimmo, the youngest
daughter of Mary King, and Janet Chesney,
a member of the last family to leave the
historic street behind. On the tour visitors
will meet Mary King herself, and find out
how she obtained voting rights nearly 300
years ahead of her time. Also hear about
the revolutionary Edinburgh Seven who
fought for women’s education and the right
to practice medicine.
The Herstory Tour shares stories of the
women who faced suppression and persecution
over the centuries but also of how the City’s
most influential women pioneered gender
equality, shaped the city’s history and impacted
our lives today.
Mary King’s Close is known for having been
“a haven for independent women” with 45% of
properties having a female head of the
household. The Close is the perfect place to
celebrate International Women’s Day and
Women’s History Month, learning about the
achievements of the women of the Close.
Paul Nixon, General Manager at The Real
Mary King’s Close, said: “We’re so excited to becelebrating International Women’s Day and
Women’s History Month here at The Real Mary
King’s Close by shining a light on all the
remarkable and powerful women who once
occupied the Close.
“Telling stories of the past and educating
people about Edinburgh’s history and those
who came before us are things we are extremely
passionate about. We can’t wait to welcome
everyone on the Herstory Tours and explore a
hidden world together.”
Tours will be running throughout March,
every Friday and Saturday at 5.30pm and
7.00pm. Prices are £25 per adult / £19 per child
(5 to 15yo – no under 5s allowed). There will
also be an additional tour on Wednesday 8
March (International Women’s Day) with tours
starting at 5.15pm and 5.30pm.
bookings.realmarykingsclose.comHERStory
Tours on
the High
Street
The Real Mary King’s
Close is celebrating
Women’s History Month
with special tours
By OLIVIA THOMASTHE SCOTTISH Government has
delivered a quarter of a million
Baby Boxes to expectant parents,
each one containing items worth
more than £400 of essentials for a
newborn baby.
It will be six years this summer
since the Baby Boxes were first
introduced in Scotland, and at
that time each box contained
£160 worth of essentials.
The box itself is a crucial part of
the gift to the parents waiting for
the arrival of their baby as it can
be used as a safe sleeping space
for the baby during early months.Children’s Minister Clare
Haughey said: “The Baby Box is
part of our commitment to ensure
every child has the best start in
life, and I am heartened that so
many families have benefitted
from this fantastic scheme.
“Clearly household budgets
remain under extreme pressure
from the cost of living crisis, so it is
reassuring to know that all
expectant parents in Scotland,
regardless of their circumstances,
have access to essential items
needed for the first six months of
their newborn’s life.
"The Baby Box also contains
items to support positiveparenting, benefitting infants as
well as parents.”
One Parent Families Scotland
Chief Executive Satwat Rehman
said: “With rising costs, single
parent households are under
increasing pressure to meet
the costs of looking after
their children.
“Having just one income, with
costs associated with a newborn,
is very difficult and the essentials
contained within the Baby Box go
a long way to easing that for
single parents. We have seen
first-hand how much difference
this has made to the families we
work with.”Tours celebrating
women this month